Refrigerator



REFRGERATO R 4. nu u n.

. ATTORNEYS.

me 9i, 1942e c. R. DIQLJVE ETAL,

Filed Aug. 2, 1939 Patented June 9, 1942 UNITED j STATES.- Y,PATENTOFFICE REFRIGERATOB Charles R. DOlive and Roland Bl. Money, Cincinnati,Ohio, assignors to The Crosley Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application August 2, 1939, Serial No. 298,002

(ci. esa- 116) y 7 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly totwo-temperature'refrigerators wherein a certain portion of the spacewithin the refrigerator is maintained at a consider ably lowertemperature than the other portion of the space within the refrigerator.

There has been considerable development in various types ofrefrigerators wherein a cold com- .partment is chilled by the directexpansion 'of refrigerant gas in an evaporator associated with the coldcompartment and wherein a secondary system is established from the'vevaporator to another portion of the refrigerator wherein evap-v oratingcoils are positioned so that thespace a minimum of effort, and whichwill an the same nation and-arrangement of parts of which'we have showna preferred example.

Referring'to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator` illustrating ourinvention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the refrigerator shown inl Figure 1taken along the line 2-2 of Figure. 1..

Ordinarily the refrigerating system having its evaporator in a casing.insulated from the main body of the refrigerator is called the primarysystem. The secondary system has its evaporator exposed within therefrigeratorproper with its condenser element in thermal contact withthe evaporator ofthe primary system, and it will be understood that thissecondary system is normallyarranged for unthrottled cycling under thesole influence of theheat of liquid refrigerant therein. Thus thesecondary system is maintained in operation by the condensation of therefrigerant gases by means of the a-bstraotion of heat therefrom' by theevaporator of the primary system.

Such an application is described in the Money and Craig application,Serial No. 284,676 filed July 15, 1939, and it is toward improvements inthe construction of such refrigerators that the invention `set forthherein is directed.

It is an object of our invention to provide an evaporator extendingmedially down through the middle of the refrigerator casing sothat therewill be an equal distribution of Acooling effect on both sides of thepartition and so that the bottom coil or header of the evaporator willextend down below the main body of the refrigerator and chill'compartments in the lower end of the box which are maintained as moistcompartments. Y

It is a further object of our invention in connection with such anextension of the secondary coil or evaporator of the refrigerator' toprovide a drip pan which will catch the water condensed Figure 3 is aperspective'detail view showing a preferred manner of mounting theshelves within the main body of the refrigerator.

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary view of the bottom shelf whichsubdivides the main body of the refrigerator from the moist compartmentslocated in the bottom of the box.

' Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of 'la 111g fOr Supporting ahinged .shelf such as is shown in the combination illustrated.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a back wall supporting lug.The refrigeratorillustrated comprises a casing.r

I having a front opening 2 with a hinged doorv 3 arranged to close thefront opening.

An insulated panel 4 extends out from the back wall forming a coldcompartment 5 in the on the surface of the lower end of the evapora-A jtor without flooding the box.

It is a further object of our invention to pro- A top part of the boxfor the primary refrigerating system and its evaporator.-

The cold compartment is closed by means of an insulated door 6 mountedon av horizontal hinge 1 and with chains 8 for limiting the downwardmovement of the insulated door 6.

The primary refrigerating systemin the embodiment of the inventionillustrated has a compressor 9 located inthe bottom of the refrigerator,the compressor and assembly being mounted on a shelf HL Compressed gaspasses through the conduit Il to a condenser of suitable type which maybe mounted at the rear of the casing I as indicated in Fig. 2,- andthence to the evaporator I2 which is supported on brackets I3. Thesuction line to the compressor is illustrated at Il.

The cold -chamber evaporator has a shelf-like construction which makesit possible to place aluminum ice cube trays inmetal-to-metal contactwith the walls of the evaporator. Belowthe shelf-like'extension of theevaporator there is a chamber within which ice cream may be frozen orotherA frozen foods or confections prepared. The details of the variouselements vof the refrigerating system are not given as they form noparticular part of this invention.

The main body of the refrigerator in which foods to be maintained at anormal temperature slightly' above freezing is indicated at I4, the

space being subdivided and made accessible for storage of variousarticles 'by shelving which will be subsequently described.

A discharge forthe secondary refrigerating system evaporator isindicated at I5, the refrigerant fluid passing to the conduit I5 from aheader I8 of a secondary condenser disposed in thermal contact with theprimary evaporator I2 as described and claimed in the copendingapplication of Money and Craig above referred to. The secondary systemevaporator consists of two metal plateswelded together and havingcavities arranged between the plates to permit the ow of the refrigerantgases. Referring to Figure 2, a bottom header II is formed into whichthe refrigerant fluid passes from the conduit I5.

'Ihe refrigerant fluid expands up through the recessed portions I8 tothe top' header recess I9 from which a conduit 20 returns to the primaryevaporator through the header 2I in the secondary condenser. y

As illustrated,` the medially upright evaporator forming the coldproducing means/'for the sec'- ondary cooling system subdivides the mainsterage ,portion of the refrigerator into two compartments.

Referring to the detailed drawing in Figure 3,

v we have shown wall brackets 22 which preferably' areof hard rubber orBakelite and which have grooves 23 therein into which the end bars 24 fshelf assemblies are housed.

The shelf assembly illustrated in Figure 3 has a stop 25 which abutsagainst a latch 26 when the shelf assembly is withdrawn from its normalposition in the box. The stop 25 prevents the shelf from being drawnclear out of the box, and is a convenient arrangement when it is desiredto clean the various parts of the box. If it is desi-red to completelyremove the shelf assembly,

' the latch 26 is elevated which permits the stop bar 251:0 passunderneath the latch. Inthis position of adjustment the shelf assemblymay be completely withdrawn from the box.'

' Arranged along land riveted or bolted to the secondary evaporatorwalls we have shown the brackets 22a which serve the samepurpose as thebrackets 22 excepting that they provide the supportsfor the inner barsof the upper shelf assembly.

Below the slidable shelf assembly illustrated in Figure 3 we have shownhinged shelf-like members 21 having end .bars 28 which pass throughopenings 23 in .the bracket lugs 30. These lugs are secured to the outerside walls of the box and along the medially arranged secondaryevaporator. As illustrated in Figure 1 these shelves may be swungupwardly to provide ,spaces for taller articles than will be receivedbetweenthe shelves, such as milk bottles or soft drink bottles.

At the bottom of the refrigerator the lugs 22b'are arranged to supportslidable glass panels 3l which insulate the bottom compartments 32within which we have shown pans 33 which provide moist compartments.

It will be observed that the lugs 22a and 22h arranged along therefrigerator walls and the secondary evaporator casing together withtheA glass plates 3| insulate the chambers 32 from the refrigeratorproper.

I'hese moist compartments are provided with foodstorage baskets 24having handles 35by which the baskets may be withdrawn from therefrigerator.

The lower end of the medially arranged secondary evaporator 36 forms alittle independent refrigerating system in the lower compartment. Whenmoisture condenses on the lower end 36 -of the medially arrangedsecondary evaporator,

a pan 31 is provided to catch the drip.

The glass panels 3l which insulate the moist compartments in the base ofthe refrigerator have stops 38 which abut against latches 26a of thelugs 22a and 22h,- and which may be elevated to permit the glass panelsto be 'withdrawn for cleaning. f

In the case of the intermediate shelves 21 which are pivoted at thesides to swing upwardly, we have shown brackets 39 formed of Bakeliteor-hard rubber which` support the inner ends of the shelves. when theyare lowered to receiving position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1.In a refrigerator having a primary refrgeration system including anevaporator, an insulated compartment in which said evaporator islocated, aclosed secondary system4 including a condenser arranged inthermal contact with the primary system evaporator, and an evaporatorlocated in the main compartment within4 the refrigerator lnitride ofsaid insulated compartment, said evaporator forming a verticallyextending medial wall in said main compartment, and having a lower endextending beyond said main compartment and insulated therefrom, andmoist compartments arranged alongside of said extension of saidevaporator.

2. InV a two-temperature refrigerator havingY an insulated freezingcompartment which contains an evaporator of a primary refrigerationsystem, a closed secondary system which contains an evaporator whichextends beyond the tem evaporator having its lower end extendingfreezing compartment medially down the refrigerator subdividing therefrigeratorinto two rcold compartments, and -a moist compartment belowsaid two cold compartments, said secondary sysj ment into twocompartments.

4.4In a two-temperature refrigerator having l an insulated freezingcompartment which contains --an evaporator of a primary refrigerationsystem, a clo'd secondary system'which contains an evaporator whichextends beyond the freezing compartment medially down the refrigeratorsubdividing the refrigerator into `two cold compartments, and a moistcompartment below said two cold compartments. said secondary systemevaporator having its lower end extending down into the spaceoccupied'by said moist com-L partment, and panels of non-conducting'matel rial arrangedhorizontally between said secondary systemevaporator-and the side walls of the refrigerator, therebyinsulatingsaid moist compartment.

5. In -a two-temperature refrigerator, a primary system havingan1evaporator and a condenser, a-secondary" system comprising acondenser in heatexchange relationship with the evaporator 'o'f theprimarysystem and also com--A vprising -an evaporatorextendingvertically with-4 in the interior oi the refrigerator, and shelves of:

insulating material Qsecuredbetween said secat a point somewhat abovethe lowermost portion of' said, evaporator' whereby there -is Vformed inthe lower part of the refrigerator a pairof moist compartments fromwhich heat is extracted only .portion of said secondary evaporaton. f v

- In a two-temperature refrigerator, a primary system having anevaporator and a condenser, a secondary system comprising a ,con-

denser in heat exchange relationship with the' ondary evaporator andtheside walls of the reary evaporator and the side Walls of the refrigfrigerator at a point only slightly abovethe lowis formed vin. the lowerpart of the refrigerator a substantially independent moist compartmentportion of said secondary evaporator.

l ermost portion of said evaporator whereby 'there `from which heat is-extracted only by the lower v portion of' said secondary evaporator,-and means Y disposed below said secondary evaporatorforcatching .thedrip therefrom and serving to maintain humidconditionswithi s'aidc'ompart ment.'

evaporator of the primary system and also'comprising an evaporatorextending vertically within the interior of the refrigerator, shelves ofinsulating material secured between said'seconderatorat a point'somewhat above the lowermo'st portion of said 4evaporator whereby thereis formed in-the lower part .oft the refrigerator a substantiallyindependent moist compartment from which heat is extracted onlyby thelower "'CHARLESR. DoLIv'E'.

ROLAND H. MONEY.

